Resurrecting Randi
More books! This one’s a thriller from David Shepherd, Resurrecting Randi.
When college professor Travis Harrison meets the copper-headed seductress, Layla Sommers, the two are drawn together with a fierce attraction – a desperate need as impossible as it is inevitable. Layla reminds Travis of his deceased daughter, Randi, and after Layla attempts suicide, he brings her into his home. There, despite her wild mood swings and overt seductiveness, there also come moments of remarkable love and compassion which help Travis come to terms with the truth surrounding his daughter’s death.
Ultimately, however, Layla’s volatile behavior costs Travis his career and his marriage; she even frames him with a murder.
The novel opens – and closes – with Travis parked on the side of a cold and desolate highway. He hasn’t seen Layla for a year and is waiting for her to emerge from a remote psychiatric center. He holds a gun in his hand…
May 23rd, 2007 at 5:46 pm
Great book. No idea why but reminds me a bit of “Lolita” by Nabokov. I guess his writing style or psychoanalysis of human beings, hard to tell really. Would like to know a bit about author. Tried to search net, but couldn’t find any info on him ;/ Does anyone know if he has a website?
June 24th, 2007 at 6:45 am
Love the story so far. Looking forward to more episodes!
June 26th, 2007 at 3:16 pm
Very heart-rending. Hope he will finish it for us.
June 30th, 2007 at 12:23 pm
Hi David
I’m enjoying Randi ever since Marta (3 comments up) recommended it to me. I ran your Podiobooks promo on ‘One Among the Sleepless’ a few weeks back; I would’ve emailed you to let you know, but your a hard guy to find.
Anyway, keep up the good work.
All the best
Mike Bennett
June 30th, 2007 at 12:28 pm
Doh! that should be,
‘you’re’
a hard guy to find.
Duh!
July 3rd, 2007 at 5:49 am
Nice story, great character development. It seemed that poor guy just got stuck in a downward spiral that descended into oblivion.
July 12th, 2007 at 10:01 pm
I really liked this book. It was so well-written and well-read. I believe this is the best book podiobooks may have to offer. Thank you, Mr. Shepherd, for such enjoyment.
July 20th, 2007 at 9:51 am
This book was totally awesome. No dull spots at all! You get mad at how the guy could be so gullable but then you cry with him and are on the edge of your seat wondering how those last few moments of the story will turn out. This could be a wonderful movie. I hope Mr Sheppard has more stories coming!!!
October 24th, 2007 at 8:58 am
he has a blog here:
http://www.resrandi.com/category/blog
October 22nd, 2008 at 5:02 pm
Spectacular! 5-Stars in every category. Emotional stability should be a prerequisite to this book. I found it impossible not to simultaneously be completely engrossed by the masochistic Layla, disgusted by Dr. Harrison’s inability to rationally see through her manipulative tendencies, and overwhelmingly touched by his selfless attempt to treat Layla as his own daughter. It’s an entirely cruel book, both to it’s protagonist and it’s reader (listener), and after finishing it, I can’t help feel like Mr. Shepard has treated us just as Layla treated Dr. Harrison…and in that light, I’m further disturbed by how much I enjoyed it. Nevertheless, thank you dearly for the journey Mr. Shepard, I sincerely hope your next novel is coming soon.
November 19th, 2008 at 6:10 pm
I just finished listening to the book and I must say, it was truly engrossing. This is the first podiobook I have listened to that I would love to read. I am on the road a lot so I listen to a lot of books on CD. I wouldn’t hesitate to put Mr. Shepherd’s telling of the story, he doesn’t just read the story, up against any of the professionals. Thank you for the entertainment.
January 28th, 2009 at 8:10 pm
The quality of this podio book was great and the author does a wonderful job narrating the story. I was captivated by the story line, and looked for more by this author as, but couldn’t find a thing. I rated this book 5 stars in each category. We are sold Mr. Shepherd, give us another great book!
August 10th, 2009 at 4:07 am
I think this book magnifies that thinnest of threads that we all hang from.
It actually finds the tangible words and the actions that crystallize the nature and the texture of grief and loss; exploring both the power of our choices and of random events that spiral wildly out of our control to eventually define our lives.
I did not see this as simply as the parable of a middle aged man wrestling with his demons. But everyman.
Powerful stuff. Surprisingly complex. Far more than the synopsis would cause you to believe.
I would love to see more from this author.
He also does a superb job in the narration. Completely in tune with the subject matter.
September 16th, 2009 at 6:46 pm
amazing, simply amazing and completely engrossing. my commutes were not long enough!
thanks so much for the characters and the insight into the human condition.
lara
September 17th, 2009 at 1:23 pm
although i found this book to be totally engrossing, see above under “lara” there were some things that i felt could be improved. WAY too many descriptions of layla, her hair, her body. we get the picture.
and man, that description of katherine was brutal. remind me never to wear sequins or spray my hair again! heck, forget the powder make-up too.
interestingly enough, there was no physical description of the man. no paunch? no pasty complexion from too many hours inside? exactly why did this 19-year-old beauty find him attractive, besides his kindness?
more editing and tightening of the story would help. i kept wanting to be able to just skip over one more description of copper hair.
aside from all the that, the characters were just so well developed, it was easy to overlook the writing flaws.
thanks for a “good read!”
lara
October 8th, 2010 at 3:24 pm
All I have to say is WOW! pure genius!
March 26th, 2011 at 6:09 am
Wow! Just finished listening. This is an excellent story. One of the best podiobooks I’ve listened too. Engrossing, captivating and even drawing some real emotion from the listener. Well done and very well read. Thank you so much for sharing your book with us.
May 12th, 2011 at 11:03 am
OMG what a fantastic book, it was a truly captivating story filled with emotion, at times you loathed Layla and at times you loved her, Travis’s character was brilliant and tragic, it was a superbly read tender story of two people who have suffered unimaginable tragedy in their lives finding each other and the ultimately sad path their journey takes.
Thankyou David for a beautiful story
July 10th, 2011 at 6:10 pm
I don’t know if this is the appropriate place, but I just wanted to say how much I appreciate the comments from listeners, and to Podiobooks for staying the course. I’ve written several books since Resurrecting Randi, but alas, they are in the non-fiction business realm that more predictably pays the bills. I do have another novel in progress as well, an historical novel from the 16th century. Hopefully, it will find it’s way to bookstores–and Podiobooks–before long.
All best…
David Shepherd
August 7th, 2011 at 6:08 pm
Excellent book! Held my attention all the way through. Superb character development. Well written and well narrated. Good job all the way around!